B-47 Stratojet | Six Engined Nuclear Capable Strategic Bomber | Upscaled Documentary

[@Dronescapes]

Click the link to watch more aircraft, heroes and their stories, missions: www.youtube.com/@Dronescapes

[@georgeshanks]

I was a B-47 copilot in 1961-1963. We flew low level training flights at 425 knots (489 mph) at 2500 feet above the ground.

[@S_M_360]

I wish all the documentaries were as clearly done as this.

[@Dronescapes]

👍🙏

[@michaeltelson9798]

I remember it being the star of “Strategic Air Command” Jimmy Stewart and June Allyson.

[@martykarr7058]

There were FOUR stars in "Strategic Air Command", Stewart, Allyson, the B-36, and the B-47. And Lt. Colonel Stewart (I believe that was his rank in the reserves at the time) was qualified to fly both the Peacemaker and the Stratojet. And later, as a General, he flew several B-52 missions in Vietnam as an observer.

[@Chris_at_Home]

I saw a B-47 at Roosevelt Roads in the early 1970s. It was parked right next to the planes I was working on.

[@PercyPruneMHDOIFandBars]

The B47 also appeared with the B36 and James Stewart in the film "Strategic Air Command". Some excellent flying sequences!

[@solarfinder]

That is one of my favorite movies. You could see the given propaganda, however seeing the aircraft flying was awesome 👍

[@huwzebediahthomas9193]

Sounds a real handful to fly. Very early jet bomber, learning as they go.

[@pablonylos8022]

Ale mam radość oglądając te filmy. Wracają czasy dzieciństwa kiedy awiacja była moją pasją. Dzięki! I oczywiście są napisy pl. 👍

[@moodiblues2]

I lived on a SAC base, Lake Charles LA, in the fifties as a kid. I used see and hear the B36 and 47s roaring day and night on the base. These huge bombers were beautiful to me and I swore that I would one day pilot one of them. However fate had other plans for me, though I learned to fly in college in Cubs and Cessnas.

[@Dronescapes]

Thank you for sharing Robert. They must have been very impressive to watch

[@moodiblues2]

@@Dronescapes overpowering for a five year old

[@karlbark]

Loved this video. -And the addition of the old black&white B-47 familiarization video was a brilliant touch. (Also; really amusing to see the relaxed smoking habits they all seemed to have). 😁 -K. (🇮🇸 Iceland)

[@Dronescapes]

Thank you Karlbark

[@klsc8510]

When I was in the USAF 1971-84, the smoking restrictions were still minimal both on the ground and in the air.

[@lordnatas4063]

one of these crashed into a mountain where i live up here in Montana. The area where it crashed has been named B-47 ridge on emigrant peak Montana.

[@sabrekai8706]

Honest to god, one of the sexiest jets ever.

[@Dronescapes]

Very, very pretty Sabre!

[@jimwalsh8520]

I went to a lecture given by Roly Beamont, he was the Chief test pilot for Englis electric. The USAF invited him to have a fly off against this aircraft whose turning circle was about 10 miles. The Canberra carried the same payload. On take off, Roly rolled the Canberra and did a display inside the airfield boundary and ended with a loop. The USAF bought them and called it the B57. It flew as high and as fast as well.

[@lageorgewheeler8227]

The B-47 was an intermediate range nuclear bomber. From '52 to '56 I would see the RB-47 variants fly out of Burtonwood RAF/USAFB quite often. Also the RB-50s were also in and out of there. Burtonwood was an Air Depot and the largest Air Base in all of Europe.

[@bd5av8r1]

For years the "City of Salina," an RB-47 sat out at the Salina Airport (Shilling AFB KS) today that RB-47 is at NMUSAF. :)

[@louremington6975]

General Urschler brought my dad back every time. I can't thank him enough for that. He is a hero in my eyes. When I was a kid he would hide in my closet with a werwolf mask. I didn't care.I only cared that my dad came home.

[@ziggyinc]

I love these Longer videos!

[@Dronescapes]

🙏👍

[@grahamhill8280]

Wow! B52 idea wittled in a few hours out of the longest block of balsa they could find. Is that why it ended up with slab sides?

[@tonyromano6220]

We were crazy AF back then.

[@garciamadrid9040]

Managing calculated risks makes the USAF and this nation great!

[@AvengerII]

Fighter types ROUTINELY lose over 10% of their production during their service lives. Heck, nearly half of all the F-105s built were destroyed in action during the Vietnam War! I'm fairly certain at least 200 F-16s have been lost in accidents since the mid-1970s and 140+ F-14s were severely damaged or destroyed in that plane's service with the US Navy. Maybe 10% was high for a bomber but it's below typical for a lot of jet fighter types including the F-104 and MiG-23 which had terrible services lives. Many F-104 operators lost 20% or more of their F-104 fleets because of the plane's handling qualities (the small wing gave it high take-off and landing speeds and it was just not a dogfighter or great turning plane). It was the first supersonic plane for many air forces and the leaders of these air arms just didn't appreciate these planes required more diligent maintenance than subsonic types and higher standards of training. The MiG-23 gained such a bad reputation on the export market for crashes and handling issues that many air forces kept their MiG-21s and passed over the MiG-23. They didn't upgrade until the MiG-29 was available!

[@AvengerII]

@@dukeford8893 Duke, Be pedantic with someone else. The Starfighter had a LOUSY safety record, regardless of how competent you perceive the pilot skill and maintainers' competence! Lockheed acknowledged a lot of the shortcomings. Had the plane been built according to the CL-1200 design, the Starfighter would NOT be such a controversial plane decades later! Seriously, Duke -- grow up and face reality!

[@AvengerII]

@@dukeford With all due respect, Duke, you do that to yourself every day of your life you dumb---!

[@patrickgriffitt6551]

The F-100 lost a lot of units also. Especially early versions. Had a problem with Dutch Roll.

[@AvengerII]

@JackNiles-hc8yz Don't kid yourself. The experience of many air forces with that plane was NOTHING short of disastrous. The USAF washed its hands clean of the Starfighter because it wasn't good for anything but point defense fighter.

[@SpartacusErectus]

This and the sr 71 are my favorites

[@mikekincaid7412]

Good doc and I gotta listen to this guy with the nasel issue.

[@williamhilbert8324]

Glad I get the opportunity to one Everytime I drive to work good looking old 🐦

[@patrickgriffitt6551]

I really have to smile a little when they talk about instability in designs. Today we design and build aircraft so unstable(relaxed stability) that a human cannot fly them without the aid of computors.

[@frankdillon6127]

i lived in Tucson ariz, 2 blocks north of Davis monthan AFB. in 1957ish these b47s would scramble sometimes at 2am and fly over my house what a racket.

[@patrickgriffitt6551]

Engine accessability? E.E. Lightning?

[@rdsieben]

The B-47 saw combat over the Baltic Sea. It was shot down by Soviet fighters

[@jonathanoconnor9546]

Proof. Otherwise it's BS

[@jamesbabbitt737]

​@@jonathanoconnor9546From Wikipedia: The only B-47s to see anything close to combat were the aerial reconnaissance variants. The first overflight of Soviet territory with a B-47B, fitted with special radar and cameras in the bomb bay, occurred on 15 October 1952, overflying Soviet airfields in Northeastern Siberia. RB-47s operated from almost every airfield that gave them access to the USSR and routinely probed Soviet airspace. Occasionally, they would avoid confrontations with speed and evasion. At least five aircraft were fired upon and three were shot down. The RB-47s returned fire with their tail turrets, although it is uncertain if they scored any kills; these were the only shots fired in anger by any B-47. Proof enough.

[@ejkk9513]

The U.S. was throwing around military contracts all willy-nilly back then! The B-52 took flight 4 years after this was introduced. At the same time, the b-58 was being designed and built. The XB-70 program was in the concept phase. The Century series of fighter aircraft were coming out. I believe 6 aircraft in the series? The F-4 was also launched that decade. I believe the F-8 Crusader was launched in the mid-50s as well. It was absolute insanity! How much did they spend on all this hardware??

[@buckhorncortez]

Perhaps willy and nilly needed the money...

[@klsc8510]

From paper to first flight to in service, technology in so many areas made that aircraft nearly obsolete once in service. Better more powerful engines. Better aerodynamics. All were happening quickly back then.

[@patrickgriffitt6551]

Of the century series only the 100,101,102,104,105,106 were series produced.The 103 design study only. The 107 prototype produced. If I missed something please feel free to advise.

[@VettemanLT5]

The one design feature that should've been eliminated from the -47 along all the others was the tandem cockpit. They all look clumsy as hell. Must be why Curtis LeMay ordered the change to a side by side seating set up on the B-52 after the first prototypes were built tandem. The -47 was the only one from that era in my opinion that would've benefitted the most from a side by side.

[@VettemanLT5]

@@dukeford8893 yes indeed.

[@briandstephmoore4910]

If we're being honest if the stakes are as high today as they potentially were back then we'll take that every day of the week. It's horribly sad for even one service men to lose their lives but end of the world on the line it's what those men and women live for.

[@solarfinder]

It is interesting how the idea of duty to your country has changed from your generation to my grand kids. I'm not sure if the dedication from the country would ever match that generation. I was unable to serve, however those that have, Thank You!

[@johnnyzippo7109]

Arguably the sexiest strategic bomber ever built , second best not to the Dassault Mirage IV and that’s a sexy m-- f--r

[@Dronescapes]

👍😎

[@dougalachi]

B-58 begs to differ

[@randywilson944]

Served in SAC B-52, B-1 and, Minuteman III wings.

[@Dronescapes]

Thank you for your service Randy!

[@klsc8510]

I served on B-52, KC-135 and Minuteman I bases in the Communications Squadron. I had computer equipment in the Wing Command Post and Launch Crew Capsules.

[@arthurneddysmith]

So many English errors, including calling the subject of the documentary the "B-57" at 14:22. This is why re-reading a script is important.

[@thelastdruidofscotland]

those engine startups were sketchy AF, even the ground crew looked a bit jumpy.

[@Dronescapes]

😳😯

[@phantomkea2]

The ground guy on the intercom looked like he had smoked a couple of reefers

[@patrickgriffitt6551]

Cart starts?

[@justynsadlowski7568]

My grandfather was a b-47 pilot and somewhere I have no idea a b-47 was coming in for landing and the number 6 engine just fell off.

[@MarcoVallentin]

Do I hear a slight touch of Swedish accent in the splendid voice-over artist ?

[@geoffreymee7671]

So Scott Isler looses his life in the canopy rip off, yet right behind him is the co-pilot. Scott cracks an mention but not the co-pilot???? He, under no doubt extraordinary discipline and courage, managed to the aircraft with (no doubt) his deceased pilot in front of him - don't even think of the mess...and in your narration, some how you forget to mention the heroics of the landing and the lander. How did u manage to stuff that up?

[@shadowopsairman1583]

The Father of the B-52 Stratofortress

[@Dronescapes]

👍

[@andron967]

Not a aircraft I'd care to fly in. There were many crashes. One broke up over east Tulsa when I was 3. Miracle that no one one the ground was killed.. The rear section hit close to my house. The front was an even worse situation hitting to the west narrowly missing houses. Engines and wings crashed over a large area.

[@rlicon1970]

200 what? Crashed. Wow

[@charlesmiles9115]

😊👍👍

[@Dronescapes]

🙏👍👍

[@johnmoyle4195]

Don’t read acronyms! Air Force Base, not AFB. United States Air Force, not USAF. Who narrated this?!?

[@billotto602]

I wish the video separated the 2 aircraft into their own videos 😕 Extremely good video though, as always for you folks !

[@well-blazeredman6187]

203 lost? Cripes!!!

[@bulletpoints556]

My uncle died in one of the B-47 crashes. Unsafe aircraft. Terrible loss rate in peace time.

[@patrickgriffitt6551]

When you are pushing the envelope in every area bad things happen. Pilots accept that. Brave men. RIP to all that sacrificed. We owe you.

[@MachenLand]

how many of those 200+ lost, were armed..

[@daysiduck7945]

1943 wussten die US Amerikaner gar nicht das es so was gibt wie Düsentriebwerke ;-)

[@jonathanoconnor9546]

Frank Whittle (British) obtained a patent in 1936.

[@jonathanoconnor9546]

The Schwalbe had engines that were totally worn out after a few hours and had to be swapped out for new ones. Also our P-51's would hang around Luftwaffe air bases and taken them out when the Me 262 was landing.

[@Mister_McCanless]

The little sister of the B-52

[@stevelenores5637]

Hanger Queen. High maintenance and low reliability was the real reason it was phased out.

[@klsc8510]

You can add to that a better plane, the B-52 was coming into service. So the B-47s were just no longer needed.

[@stevelenores5637]

@@klsc8510 I agree. Even though all planes need servicing after every mission it's important that a plane be as reliable as possible. The best truck is not the fastest or most maneuverable. The best truck is the one that stays on the road the longest with most range and can carry a big load. The same applies to bombers.

[@Rocks_Dad]

I like seeing these comments posted by obvious military lifers. Those guys have their time and place but, coming from the manufacturing segment we outsourced to China 20 years ago, I find it self serving to watch military heads continuously fist bump each other while they talk about "freedom" . I guess in their trade that is considered job security. I find it all a little obtuse as we cannot build our own decent car or washing machine or any of the other 1000s of goods we Americans used to build. Freedom my ass, ever heard of Edward Snowden

[@buckhorncortez]

Why don't you tell us all about Ed...? Was he the first B47 pilot...?

[@Rocks_Dad]

@@dukeford8893 I agree with how we have allowed a lot of wonderful things vaporize away from us. It saddens me greatly

[@slickchick5811]

freedom has nothing to do with planned obsolesce of consumer products for profit.

[@josephlowery6859]

Anything to make Putin back off.

[@jonathanoconnor9546]

You think we still have B-47's flying so we can threaten Putin ?

[@robertfoster7807]

its nato thats moved closer to russia its the usa that wants control of russia there is nothing russiia wants from western europe But western global corporations want control of russias vast resouresAnd russias got 8 %of the military budget of natoThe ukraine war is creation of the usa

[@xexperience2232]

5th

[@timothybrummer8476]

Video is an early B-47A. No tail guns. Only 10 built.